St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-26
Grand Forks County.

LARIMORE, Nov. 20.-FOr long time
the horse shoe has been symbol of
good luck with farmers, but, according
to tradition, the horse shoe must be nailed
over the door right side up. Surely the
shoe must have been correctl Y fastened
over the doors of Dakota farmers this
year.
In our township | have not heard of a
field of wheat that had yield of less
than twenty-three bushels per acre,
while the majority report a much better
yield than that.
One can not always report the I'M
menSe crops garnered here without risk
of being considered to be what is called
blow hard. The Eastern farmer that
is satisfied with sixteen bushels of
wheat per acre, finds it hard to believe
that the Dakota farmer can with ease
produce from twenty-five bushels to
forty bushels and even more per acre.
In this township this year barley
averaged from forty to forty-five BUSH
els per acre, and oats produced from
fifty-five to eighty bushelS.per acre. Not
one farmer reports yield of less than
fifty-five bushels. Until recently we
have been depending upon wild grass
for hay. On account of the population,
the increase OF stock and the cultivation
of the prairie land, the necessity of rails
ing tame grass has Just been realized.
This year many farmers SOWed from
five to twenty-five acres of millet. This
grass rewarded them with from four to
six tons of hay per acre, according to
the amount of seed SOwn. We are
abundantly supplied with fodder.
Although | have spent seven years in
Dakota and have seen various parts of
this glorious territory, i will cOnfine my
remarks to the vicinity in which | live.
that | may speak from my own personal
knowledge and observation. On our
own farm we had 900 acres of wheat
that averaged twenty-five bushels to the
acre. From my window | can see the
house of a neighbOr whose wheat
threshed over thirty-siX bushels per
acre. Ought not farmers to be satisfied
with results like these? We have eli
mate where strong man can retain his
health and enjoy his strength.
| have never in this territory seen a
case of that enemy found in most new
countries, fever and ague. In seven
years there has been but two deaths in
our township; these were both infants.
We have three schools within radius
of two miles. and live in sight of the
churches of Larimore. AT present we
use the SchOOlhOuSe in our neighbOrhOOd
for Divine worship.
Seven years ago we commenced to
farm on wild land. We were then on
the frontier, or lat the fort" Then the
prospect for convenient market for
crops was an uncertain one, and we
were much concerned whether or not
we should have a long haul for Our
wheat. Now the frontier of the front
has receded so far west that it is just
about lost, and from my door yard | can
see two elevators within two miles of
my farm, and | can easily see eight
others few miles on three sides of my
farm. A short time ago | was in st.
Paul. and rode thence almost to my own
door in one of the finest ears | ever saw.
Before living in Dakota | aancied the
territory was a resort for characters
who had found it policy to remove from
the place wherein they had lived, but L
have never lived i'll more law abiding
community. This township has been
organized four years and has its full
complement of officers, including two
justices of the peace and two cOnStableS.
The justices have never had case Oh
their docketS and the conStableS have
never made a single arrest. The people
here are rustlerS, but they mind their
own business and do so successfully.
One gratifying feature about this
country is the evidence of prosperity
among those that came here with but
little means. The greatest amount that
I.knOw any one of the settlers living
near me to have brought with him to
Dakota is $500. Now scarcely one of
them but has more than that amount
invested in farm horses, and nearly as
much in machinery. and as much in
cows and cattle, besides their houses.
barns. granaries and lands. Some of
them have finished their Improvements
and are now putting their surplus out
at interest.
My observation has been that the
small farm pays the best. Here the Ia
borer is considered worthy of his hire,
and wages are high. The farmer that
with the help of his own boys can do
his own work, can save a great deal.
To me there is no better evidence of the
merits of any country than to see
parties that were dissatisfied with
country gladly return to it after short
absence to their former homes. 1t
rarely happens that man leaves this
vicinity without soon gladly returning
to it, satisfied that he has at last found
the right place in which to pitch his
tent.
Facts are stubborn matters, and that
we have an immense crop is fact, and
that we Lave a healthfnl climate is
fact, and that we are enjoying health
and prosperity, and have the benefits of
good schools, excellent railroad facili-
ties. and many other evidences of adj
vanced civilization are other facts.